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Chesire stripped of Macao marathon title for doping

2012-03-29 13:40 Xinhuanet

NAIROBI, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan female marathon runner Rose Jepkemboi Chesire has been stripped of her Macao International Galaxy Marathon title, which she won last December together with the 40,000 U.S. dollar prize money after she failed a dope test done after the event.

Athletics Kenya (AK) Secretary General David Okeyo confirmed on Wednesday that Chesire, 27, has been banned for one year for the incident.

"We called her here in Nairobi and she was able to defend herself as the regulations demands. However, we found out that she pleaded ignorant to having used some banned drugs because she was sick," Okeyo said.

The AK medical commission ruled her guilty for not having declared intend to use the drug.

"We hence advised her that her name will be forwarded to IAAF to be listed among the banned athletes and will serve a ban of one year starting Jan. 19," said Okeyo.

This means that Chesire's ban ends on January 18, 2013. Organizers of the Macao International Galaxy marathon have since elevated Ethiopian Tsega Gelaw (2:31:48) to the 1st place.

Okeyo noted that AK will not hesitate to ban any athlete who fails a dope test and warned that ahead of the London Olympics, Kenyans need to be vigilant.

"Chesire knew what drugs she took but her mistake was she never declared all of them. Any athlete who falls sick and is advised by the doctors to take any drug that is banned must seek clearance from AK and we in turn ask IAAF to issue a therapist exemption certificate in the same effect," he said.

"This will then be presented to the athlete and will have to show it whenever they compete in any event either at home or abroad." (By John Kwoba)

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